Sunday, June 19, 2011

It's official! We have officially launched the new Young Adult Ministry here on Catalina Island. It's called Summit to Sea Connections. "A ministry connecting young adults through discovering God's love and plans for their lives. Exploring both the mountains and the sea, from the windward to the leeward side of Catalina Island." That's it in a nutshell! Some of our gatherings include a weekly Bible study at our house on Monday nights and Summit Praise on Wednesday evenings (where we get in a van and travel a couple miles up to the "summit" to have a time of music and testimony - SO cool to worship under the amazing stars). We also have four 3-day camping events scheduled this summer. We went to an Angel's game a couple weeks ago (the Tampa Bay Rays spanked them, I might add) and have another one scheduled in July.
As great as all of these activities are, we still are well-aware that true ministry to an individual life depends more on one-on-one discipleship than any group activities could facilitate. With that in mind, we continue to meet with several young adults each week one-on-one. Andrew was able to meet recently with 3 different guys and have some real quality time answering questions, and praying together with them. Shelli has also met with 3 different girls for the same purpose. How exciting to see God love on these kids through us. It has truly been AMAZING to experience the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives as He begins to "lift the veil" that has been over their hearts and minds. I love the verses in Jeremiah chapter 1 where Jeremiah is afraid to speak because he doesn't want to blow-it. But God comes down and puts a coal on his lips and says "now the words that you speak will be my words". That is our greatest prayer as we meet with these precious kids - that God would speak and we would get out of the way! And He does, He is SO faithful!

One of my favorite songs that has been recently introduced at church is called "Restoration". The words are so powerful and remind me of God's goal for each of us...healing and restoration. You can look it up on YouTube - Restoration, by David Brymer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LcyQOLVS_U
Here's the lyrics...You bring restoration
You bring restoration
You bring restoration
to my soul

You've taken my pain
called me by a new name
You've taken my shame
and in it's place, You give me joy

You take mourning and turn it into dancing
You take weeping and turn it into laughing
You take mourning and turn it into dancing
You take my sadness and turn it into joy

About Me

"Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, REVEL in Him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!
Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."
Philippians 4:4-7 (Message)